The Hunted
by Amphelisia
Summary: In a world where humanity hides from violent creatures called Pokemon behind three seemingly impenetrable Walls, Red and his friends decide to take fate into their own hands when their home, Pallet Town, falls at the cause of a mysterious draconian Pokemon unlike any the world has ever seen before. [Alternate universe]
1. The Fall of Pallet Town Part 1

_I like Pokémon and I like Attack on Titan, so I thought I might as well combine the two. Only, this isn't a crossover fic. The concept of AOT is borrowed, transported, and then molded into something that fits into the world of Pokémon._

 _This story contains action, adventure, horror, mystery, and romance. Most relationships found inside will be slowburners, but hints are made early on. Characters set to appear in this story will be from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh._

 _Real life animals exist in the universe I'm attempting to create, as well as Pokémon, who are taking on the role of Titans, and therefore will remain as proper nouns. It'll make sense as the story goes on._

 _All characters and settings belong to Pokémon._

* * *

 **The Hunted**

* * *

The morning sky was clear and rich, painted in hues of blue, with streaks of cerulean, azure, and sapphire spread out on the horizon. The sun shone with a fierce intensity, with rays of light reflecting off of the thick glass windows of the townhouses below. Pallet Town was alive with activity, caught in the middle of the afternoon lunch rush, and the daily market spree. People were walking, talking, laughing. The enjoyment and general excitement was radiant, infectious.

A young boy, with hair as golden brown as caramel, stood amidst the commotion, his eyes searching the area around him for something, for someone.

"Where is she?" he whispered, irritated.

His gaze, golden and intense, swept across the town square, falling on a trio of children, who were squatting over on the pavement as they drew unusual shapes into the cement with colored chalk. Their hands were covered in blue, red, and green dust, but they did not seem to mind it, continuing their sketches merrily and with the utmost joy.

"Looking for someone?"

The voice he heard was sweet like honey, but terribly, terribly sticky. The young boy knew it could only belong to one person: Leaf.

Blue Oak scoffed. "More like annoyed," he said, turning his head. His eyes traveled upwards, from the dull white shoes on her feet, to the deep magenta of her skirt, to the powder blue of her blouse, and finally to the look of feigned innocence on her face. "What took you so long? I've been waiting here all morning."

"Poor baby," she said with a slight pout, mockery replacing the feigned innocence of her countenance. "I got distracted coming over here, if you must know."

"Sounds about right," Blue said under his breath.

"Oh, shut up," she said, folding her arms over her chest. "I doubt you were waiting here _all_ morning."

Blue folded his arms over his chest, and scowled. "I was here, bright and early. Just like you asked," he told her. "So, what is it you wanted to tell me?"

Recollection flashed across Leaf's face, and her expression became animated, perhaps to extremities. She leaned forward, so that she was standing mere inches from Blue, and placed a small hand on his forearm. A broad smile tore at her full lips, as if she had the world's best kept secret and she was dying to tell.

"Not tell you," she said. "Show you."

Blue's eyebrows scrunched together, and a deep cut frown took shape on his face. "Show me?"

Leaf nodded, her thin fingers curling around his wrist as she tugged him closer. Her voice was low, but still held a hint of amusement and mischief. The sweet but strong smell of cherry blossoms wafted up to his nostrils, tickling the inside of his nose. "Do you want to see it?"

A cold, hard glare replaced the scowl on his face, and Blue suddenly felt as if this whole business was a waste of his precious time. Time in which he could have spent elsewhere. Doing things more important than playing games with an obnoxious and pesky girl like Leaf.

Knowing her, Blue could only guess what sort of thing she wanted to show him. In the past, she would lure him in with false hopes of something grand and spectacular, only to find himself severely disappointed. A dead bird, an army of maggots crawling out and around a rotting piece of food that someone had dropped on the way to the garbage, an old woman bathing in a window. All of which were things Leaf showed him, hoping to elicit a reaction of amazement or perhaps amusement.

None of those emotions were ever felt. On the contrary, Blue felt annoyed, and a bit disappointed in himself for going along with her. And yet, each and every time she told him she had something new to tell or show him, he found himself coming back, slightly curious.

She was a pest, that Leaf.

"Just tell me what it is," he said, unamused.

Leaf tutted. "I can't. You wouldn't believe me."

"Really?"

She nodded, and then batted her eyelashes, dark and long, and contrasting to the light color of her skin. She stuck out her bottom lip, pleading with him.

He rolled his eyes. "Fine," he said, huffing in displeasure. "Let's go."

Beaming brightly, Leaf let out a small cheer before yanking him forward with unforeseeable strength. Her grip on his wrist was tight, iron-like, as she pulled him across the square and to the other side of Pallet Town. She led him even further than that, which was surprising to him, since normally Leaf's 'show-and-tells' involved objects found inside the town's boundaries. As she tugged him along, under the stone watchtower, Blue's mind began to run wild with thoughts about what she could possibly want to show him.

He eyed the soldier standing on the balcony of the stone watchtower warily, worried he would stop them from leaving. But, Blue remembered the soldiers stationed out here, in the towns furthest from the Interior, cared little about what went on around them. Citizens of the towns like Pallet, New Bark, Littleroot, and Twinleaf, to the soldiers, were plebs. And, not much happened in terms of 'action' either.

They were in the Garrison branch of the military, tasked with watching and guarding the Walls, and the citizens who lived in the outlier towns. But, since the threat of a Pokémon attacking was so slim inside of the Walls, the soldiers of the Garrison were lax. Lazy freeloaders who lived off of taxes, bored with being stationed so far from the Interior that they could care less about discipline and propriety.

Blue scoffed at that. If the soldiers were so bored with being stationed in Pallet Town, then they should have tried harder to rank into the Military Police Brigade than being content to ending up in the Garrison. Never mind the Survey Corps. Only a fool with a death wish would become a Scout.

The outskirts of Pallet Town were flat and barren. The grass was wild and unkempt, and in some spots, dead. It stretched long and wide, all the way to the Wall. White oak trees sprouted out of the ground, but there were only a few of those. They had been planted far away from one another as well, so they stuck up like missed hairs on a man's face after his morning shave.

"Should we even be out here?" Blue asked, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the back of Leaf's head.

"No one said anything to me or Red when we went out here the first time," she said.

"You and Red?"

"Yeah."

"Is he…?"

"Red's waiting for us out here," she told him. Her neck twisted slightly as she gazed back at him, coffee-colored eyes wide and sparkling. "It's actually him who has the thing I want to show you."

Blue frowned again. "Really?"

Leaf dropped his wrist. "Yes," she said. She raised her hand, and pointed into the distance, to a larger tree that sat mere inches from Wall Palkia, its branches stretching, scraping against the structure. "He's right over there."

Following her finger, Blue caught sight of a boy, who had chestnut brown-colored hair that poked up in different directions, sitting up against the tree's trunk. He had removed his jacket and was cradling something in his arms. His gaze was focused on whatever it was, so he did not see them.

Leaf cupped her hands over her mouth. "Red!"

The boy's head jerked up at the sound of his name being called, and he glanced around him until his gaze settled on Leaf and Blue standing quite a ways away. He waved when he saw them.

"Come on," she told Blue, starting off into a short run over to the oak tree.

Blue found his feet moving on their own. His curiosity had peaked as he wondered what Red was holding. As he approached, he saw that his neighbor and childhood friend had cradled the bulge to his chest, and was rocking it gently.

A wary and suspicious glance was shot over at Leaf from Blue as he stepped closer.

"Don't get too close too fast," Red told him, his voice lower and softer than if usually was. "You might scare him."

"Him?" Blue asked.

Leaf placed her hand on Blue's back, and then pushed him gently to his knees beside Red. She knelt down as well, and smiled softly. "You'll see."

She reached out and lightly tugged at Red's jacket, revealing a small, yellow…thing. Blue was not sure what to make of it at first, but then, realization crashed over him like a tidal wave. He sprang to his feet and began shaking his head, chuckling lowly.

"Oh man," he began. "You've done some idiotic things, Red. But, this tops the cake. This is the crowning achievement of it all." He started clapping slowly.

Red's face flushed the same color as his name, and he pulled the creature bundled in his jacket closer to his chest, as if meaning to shield it from Blue. He was embarrassed. And, when he looked to Leaf, the corners of his lips pulled down into a frown.

"I told you," he said miserably. "I didn't want to show him. I knew he would react like this."

Leaf looked disappointed.

"React like what?" Blue asked mockingly. "Red, I know you're stupid, but I didn't think you were _this_ stupid. Do you know what you're holding in your arms right now?"

"Yes."

His voice was quiet and curt. He was going on the defensive, Blue knew. Red was a boy who usually kept to himself. He was a shier one, and only ever opened up around Leaf, who was basically his sister, and Blue. And, even with him, it had been hard to break through his walls. So, naturally, Red was reverting back into his usual guarded, silent self.

"What?"

"A Pokémon," Red told him. "A pikachu."

Blue hollered, and shook his head in disbelief. "A pikachu. A fucking pikachu. You do realize that Pokémon are dangerous, right? I mean, you had to have realized that. What do you think this Wall is for?"

Red was glaring hard at the ground. He would not say anything, Blue knew. He was not a fighter. The pikachu that was bundled up in his jacket was still tucked away under his arm, shielded from Blue, as if _he_ would hurt _it_.

"Blue," Leaf began. "Listen, you need to stop shouting and making all of that noise. You're going to wake up Pikachu."

He rolled his eyes. "Why? Are you worried it's going to attack?"

Leaf scowled, and rose to her feet, stepping in front of Red and the pikachu. "Maybe."

"Do you even know what Pokémon are? What they can do?" he demanded. His eyes swept over his companions, taking a moment to glare at them equally. Red still would not meet his eyes. "They're killers. Monsters. They've killed millions of people, and they're going to kill millions of more."

"Pikachu isn't like that," Red said defensively. "He's gentle. He wouldn't hurt us. He's small. He isn't like the others. The others are big. Colossal. Pikachu won't hurt us."

Blue shook his head. "You don't know what you're talking about," he said. He swallowed heavily as a memory started to unearth itself from the deepest parts of his mind. "You don't know what _they_ can do."

Red stood up just then, much to Blue's surprise, and he held the pikachu up, shoving it slightly in his face. "What?" he asked, his voice unsteady. "What can Pikachu do?"

"Get it out of my face, Red," he growled.

"What can Pikachu do to you, Blue? What can he do?"

"Get it out of my face."

The pikachu was awake now. Its big, round eyes were wide open, staring back at Blue, and appearing a bit confused to be jostled so roughly. Its black nose twitched slightly.

When Red pushed it forward toward Blue again, the boy knocked the yellow-furred Pokémon out of his arms. It fell, screaming in alarm. Red made to go catch it, but Leaf snatched his wrist and yanked him back, just as a jolt of electricity erupted from the pikachu's small form, shooting straight up into the air, the sound of thunder clapping, echoing off of the Wall.

Red gaped and Leaf placed a dainty hand to her mouth, her eyes wide with terror. Pikachu had unraveled itself from the jacket, and was standing on all fours, its tail erect. Its teeth, white and pointy, were out as it eyed all of them in turn. It was on the defense, or, possibly, the offense. Blue noticed a coat of light was now surrounding it.

"Not like the others, huh?" he asked sarcastically. He flicked his hair out of his eyes and scoffed. "Dumbasses."

Red knelt down and tentatively reached his hand out for the pikachu, but as soon as it saw him, Pikachu scurried backwards toward the tree. It still looked ready to attack, and the light around its body was growing brighter, more intense. Blue made to step forward for his friend. Red had been wrong about the Pokémon, yes, but Blue would not allow for him to be electrocuted.

"Hey!"

The voice was deep and rugged, and held hints of about enough authority in it to cause the trio to turn around. Coming up toward them was a short and stout man, with hair as white as snow and whiskers that stuck out from his face, making him look like a walrus. He wore the standard military uniform. A copper-colored jacket and dark brown leathered boots that extended past his knees. He was quite far from the trio, but he was jogging, and would be before them within a few moments.

Blue, Red, and Leaf watched him as he neared.

"What are you kids doing out here?" he asked when he was close enough.

"Playing," Leaf told him, sweetly. "Is something wrong, Mr. Wattson?"

"Yeah," he said. "There was an electrical bolt of some sort that came from this direction." He finally came to a stop before him, and appeared out of breath.

"Really?" Leaf asked, incredulous. "I guess I must have missed it." She shot Blue and Red equal looks. "You two see anything?"

Blue turned his head back to the tree trunk, where he had last seen the pikachu, but was surprised to see it was gone.

"No," Red said quietly. He was not one to look directly into a stranger's eyes. But, Wattson was not a stranger. He was a familiar face around Pallet Town. Blue saw him more often than the other Garrison soldiers, but he supposed Red did not feel as comfortable with the man.

At the moment, Red was also staring at the tree trunk, his eyes fixated on something shining in the dead grass. It glinted slightly when the sunlight that filtered through the oak tree's leaves beamed down on it. Blue had to squint his eyes to get a better look.

"What about you, Oak?" Wattson asked.

Blue craned his neck back in the direction of the Garrison soldier. He voice was steady. "No. I didn't see anything at all."

Wattson knitted his eyebrows together before glancing up at Wall Palkia. "Huh," he said. "Must've come from outside then." He focused his attention back on the three kids before him. "You should get back into town. If there are Pokémon on the other side, Arceus knows what they might be up to."

Red nodded quickly and leaned down, scooping up his jacket. All the while, Blue watched him charily. Leaf's face seemed to be holding the same expression, just not at Red. The trio stepped forward, quiet and hesitant, as Wattson led them back to Pallet Town. When Blue glanced back one last time at the tree, he saw that the glittering object in the grass had disappeared. Similarly, one single thought seemed to be on all three of the children's minds: what happened to Pikachu?

* * *

The rain was heavy, barreling down on the soldiers of the Survey Corps as they rode forward, their horses, coursers, galloping at top-speed through the forest. The redwood trees around them were tall, about three hundred feet in height, with branches so thick, a person could ride a horse across it. The clouds overhead were dark grey, blanketing the sky in darkness. Any hint of sunlight would have been graciously accepted by the soldiers, for the darkness made it harder to see _them_. To see the Pokémon.

There were about twenty-five soldiers, all of them riding steadily, grim and serious expression on their faces as they pushed onward outside of Wall Palkia. They were on an expedition, hoping to find out more information about the rouge Pokémon that seemed to clutter around the Walls, but to also take out the rather large one that was seen earlier this morning. Everyone usually became antsy whenever a larger Pokémon was spotted. It was the Scouts' duty to eliminate that fear, providing the feeling of safety and security to those who reside on the other side of the outermost wall, Wall Palkia.

At the helm of the group, riding a courser as black as coal, was the Commander of the Survey Corps himself. His hair was whipping back, vermilion in color, blowing rapidly in the wind and rain as he rode onward. His green cloak flew behind him, like a cape. He had raised himself slightly off of his horse, his amber eyes set in front of him as he scanned the area for the Pokémon.

Behind him, an older bald man, who elected to grow a long white mustache rather than hair on his head, was riding almost as quickly. He kept pace with the younger man, his own cloak floating in the wind, just not as majestically.

"Commander," the older man shouted through the rain. He squinted his eyes as water droplets fell into them. "Sit down. We don't need you falling off of your horse."

"Enough of that, Drake," a woman called out. She was riding on the other side of the Commander. Her courser was white like the moon, and it appeared to be glowing. It was a horse unlike the others, who had fur in shades of brown, and black. It stuck out, not necessarily a good thing, as it would potentially attract the attention of a Pokémon. But, the woman liked it. It was _her_ horse.

She adjusted her goggles, something she used to see as opposed to her regular glasses, which would have undoubtedly fallen off, and graced her fingers against her scarlet hair that had been tied back in a ponytail.

"Lance doesn't know how to keep his ass in a saddle," she said. "Especially when it comes to Pokémon."

Drake, the older man, huffed, but kept a watchful eye over the Commander as they continued to ride.

Commander Lance tilted his head upwards at the sudden and unmistakable sound of a Pokémon. It was somewhere nearby, howling in the downpour. He was on the alert, and whipped the reins in his hands, inciting his courser to ride harder and faster.

The sound grew louder as the Scouts rode closer. Lance held out his left arm just then, signaling to those on that side of him. "Formation," he commanded. "Pokémon approaching to the north. We split into three groups. Left, right, center."

Drake was riding on Lance's left side, and he held up his arm for those behind him. "My team, with me," he shouted.

Lance thrusted his right arm out, in the direction of the scarlet-haired woman. "Lorelei."

The woman nodded, and pushed her white horse forward. "Keep a sharp eye out," she shouted behind her. "We don't know what we're up against just yet."

The right-side team led by Lorelei rode onward, leaving Commander Lance with only six soldiers. But, it mattered not how many Scouts were with him, Lance was the Commander for a reason. Despite his young age, he had skill in taking out Pokémon, and a natural ability to lead, to garner respect. As unsafe as it was to be outside of the Walls, the best place in terms of safety would be behind Commander Lance.

The Scouts surged ahead. The hooves of their horses beat down on the ground hard, making it sound as if a band of drummers were with them, hitting their instrument passionately. Rain continued to pour from the clouds above and soaked the soldiers to the bone. Some of them shivered, from the cold or from fear of what was to come.

Lance kept leading his team straight until he saw something off-colored in the distance. Trees blocked him from getting a clear view, but there was no mistaking the pale grey color that gleamed in the darkness.

"Dismount!" Lance commanded. "Gear up!"

The six Scouts behind him prepared their omnidirectional mobility gear, in which enabled them to get to higher ground over larger Pokémon, and to attack them at their weakest point, something that could not be done if they were grounded. The sound of grappling hooks being fired soon filled the air as the Scouts zipped toward the trees. Lance launched himself out of his courser's saddle with finesse as his grappling hooks pulled him to the branch of a nearby redwood.

As his grapples reeled themselves back into his gear, Lance caught sight of a soldier standing a few feet away from him on the same branch. It was thick and wide enough for more than one person to stand on, so he did not worry about their weight causing it to come crashing to the ground.

Though he gave her a sideways look, Commander Lance focused his attention on the other soldiers who were waiting for his word in the surrounding trees. "Prepare for attack. We wait for signals from Drake and Lorelei."

He hoped they spotted the Pokémon already, and were preparing for the all-directional assault.

His attention turned to the woman standing with him. Her hair was blue, light azure and tied up in a thick ponytail that swayed over her lower back, and she had her gloved hands fisted around her Dragon-blades. "Stay near me, Clair," he ordered.

She said nothing to acknowledge she heard him, and instead kept her eyes out in the distance. She was not exactly submissive to his command, but her lack of reaction gave insight into how acquiescent she was, at least when it concerned him. He was not a permissive cousin, and Clair never once defied him. He was her commander. The Commander.

"Commander," Drake shouted. His grappling hooks were shot into the redwood tree beside the one Lance was on, and he swung forward until he landed lithely on his feet. "Left-side is prepared for attack. I caught sight of the Pokémon," he said, his hands coming to a rest over his own Dragon-blades. "Draconic. It's a Dragon-type."

Lance nodded. "Lorelei will want it."

"You bet your sweet ass I do," Lorelei said, appearing on the same tree branch as the Commander and his cousin. She nodded once at Clair before stepping over to Lance. "Ice-blades work best against Dragon-types. Unless the Dragon Triad wants to give it a go."

Drake scoffed so loudly, it was heard even through the rain. "Dragon Triad," he mumbled with a shake of his head and a smile on his thin lips.

Commander Lance did not appear as amused, not even a ghost of a smile broke on his face. He frowned at Lorelei until she held out her hands defensively, signaling she meant it as a joke, and grabbed for the hand-controls of her gear.

"I'll get to it then," she said. "I'm taking center now, yes?"

Lance nodded stiffly.

Lorelei pressed down on her hand-controls, shooting out the grappling hooks as she swung back toward her team. The right-side would move to the center, while Lance and Drake's team would provide the cover from the sides. Though, with Lorelei's skills, there was no doubt she would need much backup. Her team of eight soldiers would suffice.

An ear-splitting howl echoed throughout the trees just then, and a Pokémon appeared. It was completely massive, with a grey body and six thick, clawed legs. It was draconic, as Drake said, with jet black wings that appeared to be ink-like in consistency. There were also a row of blood-red spikes that lined the top of its wings.

Lance yanked his Dragon-blades out and stepped forward toward Clair. She was closer to the Pokémon than he was, and appeared to be ready for the fight. A look of determination was present on her face, which was slick with rain water, with blue bangs clinging to her forehead and cheeks. Lance knew that look. She wanted to fight, but he would be damned if he let that happen. As long as he was around, she was his responsibility. She was about to press down on the hand-controls of her gear when he reached her, and held out his arm to block her from moving.

"Stay near me," he told her again with gritted teeth. Then, he whipped his head back toward the Pokémon.

Lorelei was waiting in the tree branch just above it, her Ice-blades, cool, thin steel swords that shone light blue, were gripped in each of her hands. Her team had flanked around the Dragon-type Pokémon as well. They were ready.

Commander Lance shot his arm up into the air, signaling for Lorelei to move. In an instant, her team was swirling down and around the Dragon-type Pokémon. It caught sight of them, and roared in anger, but they were moving too quick. Blades glinted in the air as they sliced down at the Pokémon. Their cuts did little but distract it, but that was what they were hoping to do.

Lorelei, while the beast's attention was focused elsewhere, shot the hooks of her gear forward and into the Pokémon. It pierced the grey skin of its long neck. Lorelei rocketed forward, with her Ice-blades held back, ready to carve up the monster's nape. As she neared, however, the Dragon-type Pokémon beat its wings, flapping them at the eight Scouts swirling around it. The blood-red spikes on its wings slashed and pierced all of those who were unfortunate enough to make contact with it, and they were sent flying to the ground and trees. Then, the Pokémon cried out once before snapping its neck back, focusing its pale blue eyes on the scarlet-haired woman rushing toward it.

Lorelei seemed to realize her mistake far too late, for terror flashed in her eyes as the Pokémon opened its maw. She closed her eyes tight, prepared for death, when, suddenly, the Pokémon vanished in a cloud of black smoke.

The hooks that had clung to the Pokémon's neck, acting as an anchor for Lorelei, fell, sending her soaring to the ground. She was quick to react, however, once she felt the cold wind rushing against her. She twisted and then launched the hooks out toward a nearby redwood.

"That was a close one!" she hollered as the cables of her gear reeled her in. "For a second there, I thought I was d―!"

The black cloud of smoke that had appeared in the place of the Dragon-type Pokémon suddenly reappeared, condensing and retracting together. It was like a wormhole had opened, and soon enough, the Pokémon had returned. Its eyes were now glaring red, as opposed to the pale blue of before, and it rushed forward with great speed, slamming Lorelei full-force. It tore into her, slicing right through her chest.

Her gear stopped retracting, and she started falling to the ground below, dropping at least twenty feet.

"Lorelei!" Misty, a Scout who had served under the scarlet-haired woman, cried out. She readied her gear in an attempt to intercept Lorelei's body before it hit the ground, but another Scout held her back.

"Commander!"

"Kill it!" Drake shouted, as he brandished his Dragon-blades. His eyes were trained on the Dragon-type Pokémon. "Kill it, now!"

"Lorelei!"

"Commander!"

"Kill the Pokémon!"

Commander Lance jetted forward with his omnidirectional mobility gear, landing on the tree branch where Drake was. The bald man was livid, and looked just about ready to fly down and attack the monster, but Lance reached forward and grabbed the collar of his shirt, slamming him back into the tree trunk.

"Commander Lance?" he gasped.

"You aren't killing anything, Drake," Lance said, his voice almost like a growl. "Keep your head on straight."

"We need to…we need to…"

"We don't need to do anything without first having a plan," the younger man said. "Rushing in like an idiot will get you killed."

Drake held his hands up to his collar, struggling in Lance's grasp. He peered into the Commander's eyes for a long while, and then, realizing his mistake, he hung his head in shame.

"Commander!"

Lance turned his head just as a Scout landed on his tree branch. It was Falkner, another soldier who served under Lorelei.

"What is it?" Lance asked, releasing Drake's collar.

The older man clutched at his chest as he gasped for air.

"The Pokémon," Falkner began. "It's trying to escape."

The Dragon-type Pokémon was beating its massive wings, attempting to expand them. Around it, the Survey Corps soldiers watched on in terror. It had moved with such speed, and sliced through Lorelei like she was butter. They had never seen something so enormous, so terrifying before. The Pokémon before them was unlike anything they had ever known.

"I want to regroup," Lance said. "We need to recollect ourselves before we―"

His words were soon cut short when the Pokémon screamed. The sound was high-pitched and sharp, like nails on a chalkboard. The Scouts brought their hands to their ears to protect themselves from the awful noise.

The Commander stalked over to the edge of the branch and stared as the Pokémon, now glowing with a black light, launched itself straight up, above the trees and into the dark rainclouds. He kept his eyes locked up on the sky for a long while, waiting, anticipating the Pokémon's return.

It never came.

* * *

Leaf was watching the birds fly off, wings spread wide, gleaming in the afternoon sun, soaring over Wall Palkia, as she sat, perched on the slanted, crimson-tilted roof of her house. Well, the house she shared with Red.

Beside her, Red was seated closer to the edge, his feet dangling freely through the air. His hair was blowing gently in the wind.

She sighed. "Sorry."

He was gazing out at the distance, probably still thinking about Pikachu, the one he had found when the two of them had been actually playing by the Wall. The Pokémon, small, and yellow, and cute, had been injured. They did not know how it got to the other side of Wall Palkia, but it was there. Weak, tired, and hungry. Red had reached out for it, nursing it back to health, despite the danger surrounding it and the possibility of him getting electrocuted. The pikachu did not attack him, though. Instead, it had accepted his aide, and seemed to appreciate his efforts and generosity. They had actually known the thing for a few weeks. It was only today that Leaf suggested they share their secret with Blue.

"It's okay," he murmured.

"Blue's a difficult one," she said.

Red grimaced and absentmindedly picked up a piece of gravel from the roof, rolling it between his thumb and forefinger. "Yeah, I know."

Leaf pressed her hands to her thick hair, and pushed it back, out of her face. "I didn't think he would react like that, but I guess I should've known," she said dejectedly.

"Known what?"

She stared down at the streets below, and then to the adjacent house, with its red door. Blue's house.

"That he wouldn't have accepted Pikachu like you and I did," she said softly. "His father was a Scout, you know."

Red turned his head sharply in Leaf's direction. "His father was a Scout?" he asked. "How did you know that?"

"He told me," she admitted.

"I've known him longer than you, but he's never said anything about his father. I just assumed he left his mom or something."

Leaf offered him a small smile, but it did not reach her eyes. "If only that was just it," she said. "But, no. His father was…killed by a Pokémon. I don't know the exact details, but that was what Blue told me."

Red seemed to be digesting everything she said, for he was quiet for a long while. He pulled his arm back, and flung the piece of gravel out into the air, watching it land in the streets below. Leaf fiddled with the hem of her blouse, deep in thought herself.

Just then, something glinted in the light, catching her eyes, and Leaf brought her gaze back up at Red. He was holding something new in his hands. It appeared to be a jewel. A crystal. It was light yellow in color, and only about the size of a fist.

"Woah," Leaf said, her mouth parting. "What is that?"

Red shrugged slightly. "I'm not too sure."

"Where did you get it?"

"I found it earlier," he admitted shyly. "When we were by the Wall with Blue. Before Mr. Wattson came. It was left by the tree."

"Yeah?"

Nodding, Red ran his thumb against the crystal, rubbing it gently. "I wonder if Pikachu left it behind," he said, more to himself than to her.

Leaf tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she leaned closer to Red, hoping to get a better look. It would make sense, if Pikachu left a crystal behind. It could be a parting gift of some sort. Perhaps Pikachu wanted to thank Red for helping it, for healing it. Leaf did not know too much about Pokémon, but maybe they were able to create crystals out of nothing.

Suddenly, a bell started ringing in the distance, and Leaf and Red perked their heads up. The bell only meant one thing: the Scouts were returning.

Red peered off in the direction he knew the soldiers of the Survey Corps would be coming from. There was a small gate that rose in between the Wall. It was only ever used by the Scouts, who traveled through it when they journeyed outside.

Leaf noticed he had a hopeful look in his eyes, and she smiled softly.

"You want to see them?" she asked.

Red turned and parted his lips. "I…"

Leaf sprang to her feet and rolled her eyes. She offered him a hand up. "I know you do, Red, so don't lie. Come on, let's go."

A smile tore at Red's lips, and he took Leaf's offered hand. Together, they retreated back to the ledge that jutted out from the house, dropping carefully down onto the sill that belonged to the window of Red's room. They stepped inside and made their way down the stairs and into the common room, where Delia, Red's mother, was standing over the table, wiping it with a towel. She was a woman of average height, with hair the same light shade of brown as her son. Her hair was usually tied back, and today, it was resting over her shoulder.

She beamed at them. "Where are you two off to so quickly?" she asked.

Red look embarrassed. He was a bad liar, and he had not even opened his mouth yet. His cheeks flushed, and Leaf had to place her hand on his shoulder to provide him with some comfort.

"Out to Professor Oak's place," she lied.

As hard it was for Red, lying came natural to Leaf. The trick involved keeping a level and steady voice. Any wavering and hesitation would give away the lie immediately.

"Really?" Delia did not sound convinced, but that was because Red looked so guilty. His mom did not like the Scouts, or the fascination her son had with them, which was preposterous. Red did not _really_ want to join the Survey Corps, Leaf knew. He just idolized them. But, Delia did not believe it was just reverence, and was certain he had some crazy idea to join them someday. She would not let that happen, and forbid him from fantasizing after them.

Leaf nodded and squeezed Red's shoulder sharply to get him to knock off the guilty look he was wearing. "Yes," she said.

"Red?"

"Huh?"

"Are you two really going to Professor Oak's?" she asked sternly.

"Uh…" he began. "Y-yeah."

Delia raised an eyebrow. "I don't believe it for a second," she said. "I just heard the bells chiming. The Scouts are back."

Red nodded lamely. "They are…"

"And, you two are going to see them."

"Shit," Leaf cursed under her breath.

"N-no!" Red's voice raised an octave.

Leaf had to fight the urge to hit her palm to her face.

"You're a bad liar, Red," Delia said. "I can see it on your face." She turned to Leaf. "And, you. Don't let him talk you into going on these crazy adventures. You're a good liar, Leaf, but you've lived here long enough for me to know when you're telling lies."

"We were just―"

"Uh-uh," Red's mother said, cutting off her son's protest. "Back into your rooms. You aren't going to see the Scouts."

There was no use arguing against Delia, so Leaf hung her head with a sigh.

* * *

It was later in the afternoon, closer to supper-time, and light was flooding Red's bedroom, filling the space with a warm gold and orange color. He was sitting at the edge of his mattress, the yellow crystal he had found earlier in his hands. He was turning it over absentmindedly, his eyes focused elsewhere.

A knock on the glass of his window pulled his attention back to reality. It was Leaf, squatting on the sill outside. She was smiling and pointing for him to open the window.

He rose from his bed, stuffing the crystal back into his pocket before going over to see what she wanted.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

Leaf made a face, as if the question he asked was ridiculous. "We're going outside," she said.

"My mom said―"

"We can't go see the Scouts, yeah, I got that," she said. "But, the Scouts are gone. I'm sure they passed through Wall Dialga hours ago."

"So?"

"So," Leaf said. "We're going to get some fresh air. Plus, Blue's outside now."

"How do you know that?"

Leaf tossed her brunette tresses over her shoulder proudly. "I _know_ when Blue's outside."

Red accepted the explanation. As far as Leaf was concerned, Red figured it was better to go along with everything she did rather than question her.

She stepped back just then, making room for him as he stepped out through the four-paned window. He made sure to pull the glass down gently. He did not think his mother would get too upset if she found he and Leaf were gone, as she generally allowed them to do whatever they pleased as long as it did not concern the Wall or the Survey Corps. But, he could not be too careful.

Now crowded together on the window sill, Leaf sat down and let her legs hang freely in the air. It was windier than before, so her skirt was blowing wildly in all directions. She did not seem to care if she happened to be exposed or not, and stared down at the streets below.

Leaf swung her legs and then shimmied off of the edge, landing in a crouched position in the street below. Red was hesitant, but knew she would not wait for him if he took too long. It had happened before. He soon jumped off the sill in a similar fashion as her, just not as gracefully.

Red hated dropping from his house. It was a long fall and it hurt his feet, and he worried his legs would break every time they did it. That was why they rarely took this route. Leaf knew he disliked jumping from the sill, but she must have figured it was their only way out of the house. His mother could be like a dragon guarding a keep when she was mad. It was better to not test their luck with her.

Beside him, Leaf was squatting on the pavement as she pulled at her socks. Her skirt was flying more rapidly than before, and her thick brown hair spiraled around her as she stood up. Even Red felt the wind's effects as he rose to his feet.

"Look!" she said, grabbing his arm excitedly. She pointed down the street at Blue, who was talking to his grandfather, Professor Oak. She cupped her hands over her mouth. "Blue!"

Blue perked his head up at the sound of his name and found that it was Red and Leaf who were attempting to attract his attention. The boy huffed and rolled his eyes before turning away.

Leaf frowned but waved at him again. "Blue!" she called. "Blue Oak!"

Blue was obviously trying to ignore them, but that did not seem to bother Leaf, who tugged Red forward toward their neighbor's house. She continued calling after him, so much that Professor Oak himself started staring intently at his grandson, sending him pointed looks.

When they got closer, Red heard Blue say, "Later, Gramps. I've got things to do, people to see."

He took off sprinting down the street.

"Hey! Blue, where are you going?" Leaf shouted. She released Red's arm and bolted after him.

Red stuffed his hands into his pockets sheepishly as he was left with Professor Oak. He gazed after his friend and his neighbor as they ran off, and then decided he should go follow them.

"How are you, Red?" Professor Oak asked.

Red shrugged. "I'm fine."

"Everything okay with your mother?"

"Yes."

"Good, that's good."

Red kept his eyes on the ground, but tried a smile in Professor Oak's direction. It ended up looking more like a grimace.

"I…I should go…" he said awkwardly.

Professor Oak nodded, offering him a bright grin. "You keep an eye out for that sister of yours. She's a rowdy one, especially concerning Blue."

Red did not think he should correct the older man, and, instead, grimaced again before starting off into a jog in the direction he saw Leaf and Blue go.

Leaf was not his sister, despite what everyone in Pallet Town thought. She was taken in by his family when she, when _he,_ had been ten. That was two years ago. Everyone seemed to believe they were siblings though. They looked similar to one another, as far as physical characteristics went, so he could see where the idea came from.

After running quite a bit, Red found Leaf and Blue in the middle of the town square. Leaf had tackled Blue to the ground and was sitting on his back, pinning him to the pavement.

"Get off me, you pest," he complained.

"Nope," she said. "You don't run away from me when I call you."

The civilians of Pallet Town were watching the two of them with humorous expressions. Some of them snickered, but eventually returned to their business. When Red approached, he frowned at Leaf, and then gave Blue an apologetic look.

"Leaf," he said chidingly. "Get off of him."

Leaf stuck out her bottom lip, but obliged. She pushed down on Blue's back before springing to her feet. Blue groaned in pain and displeasure before rising from the dirty pavement.

As he stood, he opened his mouth to tell Leaf off, but his words were cut short when something exploded near Wall Palkia and a bolt of lightning shot into the sky. The world around them shook and rocked, as if they were caught in the middle of an earthquake. The trio stumbled as the ground swayed, and Red had to hold his hands out for balance. Around them, the building and houses of the town square wobbled. A few people fell over. A baby was crying.

And then, it appeared.

A humongous monster with grey skin and black wings that spread wider and longer than anything Red had ever seen before. It had pale blue eyes, so terrifying and frightening that Red felt paralyzed in fear. It appeared to be staring down at them, at all of them. It was flying up against the Wall. The Wall that was supposed to be one hundred and sixty-five feet in length. The Wall that was supposed to be too high for any of the Pokémon to reach, to fly over, to break through.

Red did not know who started it, but soon enough, everyone was screaming.

* * *

 _A/N: So that was the first chapter. Obviously, if you've seen the anime or read the manga, then some of what happened should be familiar. I figured I might as well start the story off in a similar way. It will be like this for a while, but the story will deviate as it goes along._

 _To those who haven't seen Attack on Titan, you're in luck because you don't need to have seen it to know what's going on. Everything will be explained as the story progresses. But, I do recommend watching it, or at least searching up 'Attack on Titan opening' in YouTube to get a feel of what I'm talking about when I described the gear and stuff. Plus, the song is epic._

 _Thank you for reading, and feel free to leave any thoughts or comments._


	2. The Fall of Pallet Town Part 2

_Thank you to everyone who followed, favorited, or reviewed the story so far. It means a lot to me._

 _All characters and settings belong to Pokémon._

* * *

 **The Hunted**

* * *

" _Pokémon: colossal monstrous beings that appeared in the world without precedent. No one is quite sure where they came from. Some say they sprung up from the ground, pests in the dirt like dandelions. Others say they appeared one night where the stars rained down from the sky. Both of these theories have neither been confirmed nor disproven, but one thing is clear: they are completely and utterly hostile._

 _It is unknown why they attack humans. Years and years of research and field studies done on part of the Survey Corps have yet to confirm their motives. All is known is that Pokémon are attracted to the scent of human beings, and enjoy the taste of flesh. However, it has been discovered that these colossal monsters do not need sustenance to live. It appears that they simply attack just for, dare I say it, fun._

 _The strength and powers of these monsters has driven humanity to the brink of extinction. As a result of the Pokémon and the threat they pose, the world erected three Walls to hide behind. These Walls are known as Wall Palkia, Wall Dialga, and Wall Arceus._

 _Along the outer Wall, Wall Palkia, are four towns, built to the north, east, south, and west. These towns are Twinleaf, Littleroot, Pallet, and New Bark, respectively. Their location at the outer edges of the Wall serves one main purpose: to act as bait to draw Pokémon near. The so-called outlier towns jutted out of Wall Palkia like targets, thorns at vital spots along the Wall where the beasts could congregate, making it easier for the Survey Corps to streamline in and eliminate them. These outcroppings were well protected, but if any problem were to arise, it would be in the outlier towns_ …"

* * *

The Wall exploded in a loud boom, with pieces of the structure breaking and crumbling, falling one hundred and sixty-five feet down to the ground below. Large wayward pieces of stone flung out through the air, knocking into townhouses and destroying them on impact. Other chunks rained down on the townsfolk, smashing their bodies, blood quickly pooling under their flattened forms. From where the large Pokémon had blasted a hole into Wall Palkia, a stream of dust, grey and dark and filled with debris, flooded the air. It jetted forward, absolutely powerful, and blew people off of their feet. The buildings found closest to the south facing side of the Wall toppled over due to the force.

The screams of the people around Leaf, if possible, grew louder. They rung loudly in her ears, rattling her brain.

When the Pokémon had appeared, Leaf, like nearly everyone, had been surprised. She had been speechless to be completely truthful. The Walls were built to keep out the Pokémon. And yet, there was one. Staring over at them with its pale blue eyes. Pale blue eyes that looked like death.

The Pokémon hadn't watched them for too long. Perhaps it did not like what it saw. Humanity, cowering behind massive walls, corralled like cattle waiting for slaughter. That was something Blue said a lot. That they were like cattle. And, the world they knew was just a pen.

Either way, the Pokémon, with its jet black wings, had flown back, giving itself some room, before aiming a blast of aura power at the Wall, blowing an enormous hole into it.

For the longest while, Leaf could not move. Her eyes had bulged, nearly out of their sockets and she was frozen in place. Her feet would not lift no matter how hard she tried. Around her, in the town square, everyone was screaming and running. It was not until the first wave of Pokémon appeared that she realized she should not be standing still.

From the hole, they came. Dozens and dozens of them. Pokémon. They flooded in like rats, crawling into Pallet Town. They came in different shapes and sizes. Their looks varied from one another. But, Leaf knew one thing was at least shared between them. They were larger than anything anyone had ever seen, towering over the townsfolk like skyscrapers.

"Run for your lives!"

"They've breached the Wall!"

Leaf felt her feet moving slowly, shuffling backwards away from the incoming Pokémon. They were not close enough to her and her friends to pose a threat yet, but Leaf knew that would not be the case for too long.

Beside her, Blue Oak was wearing an expression of complete shock. His golden eyes had widened and his mouth had parted. The Pokémon had come. They had come for them all.

"We need to go," Blue said, his voice wavering slightly. He was trying to be strong, but Leaf knew him well enough. She knew he was scared. She was too.

Nodding, she turned toward Red, only to see him walking forward, his own look of terror present on his face. He seemed to be moving in a trance. The citizens of Pallet Town were rushing past him, shouting and shrieking for their lives, hoping to make it to the north-side of Pallet Town, where one single gate and a few moored boats waited on the river that ran through to the Interior, a place where the elite lived, protected by the innermost wall, Wall Arceus.

Pallet Town was surrounded on all sides by Wall Palkia. The north facing side, with its single gate, led into vast plains that stretched between Wall Palkia and Wall Dialga. For the most part, hardly anyone lived out in the plains. The land was barren. But, Leaf knew everyone would be trying to flee to these lands. The Wall had been breached, but the Pokémon would at least be trapped inside Pallet Town. As long as the north facing side remained intact, there was no real need to be fearful. Once the citizens pooled into the other side of the Wall, they would only have to wait for the Scouts to come, and soon enough, they would be back to their normal lives.

"Red!" Leaf called.

He was still shuffling against the current of the crowd. He wore a look of absolute mortification on his face and his eyes were glazed over.

Leaf took a tentative step forward, her hand stretching out to reach him. "Red!"

"Red!" Blue yelled. "Where are you going?"

The screams and the shouts and the rush of people drowned out his response. In his trance-like state, Red continued onward, seemingly deaf to what his friends were saying.

"Red!" Leaf tried again. "Stop!"

"My house is in that direction," he said. "My mom…she's all by herself…" He took off running.

Leaf started after him, only to be stopped by Blue and the tight grip he had when he caught her arm. "No, Leaf," he said. "There are Pokémon over there. You can't go."

Leaf tried to shrug him off of her, but his grasp remained steadfast. It was like his fingers were a cage around her wrist. "Let me go, Blue," she complained.

"They'll kill you if you go," he said darkly. "I can't let you."

"No they won't," she said, prying his hand off. "They won't." She turned away in the direction Red went off to, preparing to run, but Blue grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers together.

"They won't just kill you," he warned her. "They'll eat you too."

Leaf tugged her hand away with a shake of her head. "I'm going to find Red and his mom."

Without allowing him another second to respond, Leaf took off after Red. She darted out of the town square and down the street that led to their house. People were running up to her in the opposite direction, their eyes alive with fear. A man rammed into her, knocking her shoulder back. He did not apologize when they collided and continued to the north-side of the town. Leaf did not bother to yell at him, and instead clutched her shoulder, nursing it as she surged onward.

She found Red sometime later. He had made it to the lower south-side of town, where their house lied, and was now crouched down, his hands wrapped around a large wooden beam. He was attempting to pull it loose relentlessly, for it, along with the other beams that had once held the house upright, had fallen over, crushed when a wayward chunk of stone from the Wall had collided with it. The walls and roof of their home too had toppled over.

His struggle was patent even as she approached.

Skidding to a short stop, Leaf dropped to her hands and knees. Her heart was racing in her chest, thumping louder and louder as she saw the reason why Red was pulling so hard at the debris. His mother, who was still conscious, was trapped underneath the rubble of their house.

"Leaf," Red said, his voice trembling. "Help me. Help me get this off of her."

"No," Delia said, her voice weak but firm. Her body may have been trapped under the house, but her head and arm was free. She reached and touched Leaf's hand gently, which was starting to shake tremendously. "You two need to get out of here."

Red's eyes were bright with tears. "No. We're not leaving you, Mom."

His hands moved under the wooden beam again pulling it up with all of his might. He struggled and grunted, his fingernails clawing at the splintered wood as he hefted the beam slightly. A shaky sigh of relief passed between his lips when he saw the fallen plank rise from the ground at the result of his desperate efforts. The relief was fleeting, however. The weight of the wood was too great for Red to hold on his own, and the beam fell from his grasp.

Leaf gritted her teeth and leaned forward to wrap her arms around the wooden rafter. It was so incredibly heavy. Even with Red, the two children could not muster up the strength to lift it off of Delia.

Similarly, the splintered wood had started to stab her. The jagged splints dug into her palms, piercing her and drawing blood. Leaf bit down on her bottom lip to keep from crying out. The pain was immense, but Leaf kept trying to lift. Red's hands were worse. Completely gory and coated in thick crimson liquid. Even still, he must have been biting back his discomfort. Perhaps for his mother's sake. He grunted, his muscles tightening as he tried again. It was no use. The beam was just too heavy.

"You have to go," Red's mother told them.

Red shook his head fiercely. "Not without you―"

His words were cut short at the sound of something, _of somebody,_ stomping hard against the pavement somewhere nearby.

Leaf lifted her head, only to see a horde of Pokémon trudging forward. They were closer now and for a moment, all she could do was gawk. A particularly ugly one, with pale skin and navy tuffs of hair sprouting from its head, was marching toward them on two skinny pink legs. Its jaw was curved inward, and it wore a vacuous look on its round face.

Beside her, Red let out a shaky breath; it sounded more like a struggled cry. The tears that welled up in the corner of his eyes had started to stream down his cheeks.

"Hurry up!" he shouted urgently, his voice wobbly. He grabbed at the beam again, desperate to get his mother free.

"I'm trying!"

The two of them pulled as hard as they could on the wood but it still would not budge. Leaf's hands were shaking so terribly that she did not think she could maintain her grip any longer. Her heart was pounding in her ears. The sound itself so loud, she almost would not have heard the Pokémon drawing nearer if she had not looked up every few seconds.

"No…" Red's mother began. She reached out and grabbed her son's hand, steadying him. "You've got to get out of here, Red. You have to take Leaf and run."

"No! I won't leave you!"

"You need to listen to me," she said, tears starting to fall. "My legs have been crushed. Even if you two get me free, I wouldn't be able to run. There's not time to save me."

"Stop it!" Red screamed. "We're getting you out. I'll carry you if I have to. Just please!"

"Red, listen to me!" she yelled. Her change of tone startled Leaf and caused her to flinch slightly. "I can't do it. I can't run."

"No!"

"Leaf," Delia said pleadingly. "Make him understand. You need to protect him. Look after him for me. Take him and go!"

"I can't!" Leaf cried.

"Red, go with her! Do you want all three of us to die?"

Red's voice cracked. "No!"

The Pokémon was closer than it was before. In only a few minutes, it would be upon them.

Leaf refocused her attention on the beam, struggling against it with Red again. The two of them continuously trying and trying to lift the fallen rafter. But Leaf was scared. She was so scared. Her hands shook violently. Her _body_ shook violently. Terror was grasping at her. Stretching longer and longer. Traveling through her body and clawing at her throat. A scream was threatening to unearth itself from deep within the pit of her stomach. Even still, she did not want to give up. She _refused_ to give up. She wouldn't leave Red's mother. She wouldn't leave Delia. Blinking back the tears from her eyes, Leaf tried again. It was to no avail.

"That's not going to happen, not while I'm around."

Red, Leaf, and Delia all glanced up to see Blaine, a Garrison soldier, marching toward them. He was a bald older man with a long white handlebar mustache and round-brimmed glasses. He was coming up from behind and was offering the three of them a brave smile. It was strained, especially around his eyes, but Leaf figured he had to appear courageous for them. It was a soldier's duty.

"Blaine," Delia said urgently when he came to a stop before them. "Please, take the children. They need to get out of here."

Blaine knelt down, the brave smile still pulling at his thin and chapped lips. "Delia," he said. "You must've forgotten. We Garrison soldiers are supposed to protect you citizens. What kind of soldier would I be if I didn't protect you?" He chuckled to himself before pulling out his swords.

The dual-blades glowed with a warm red light, glinting in the dimming sunlight, and appearing to be radiating heat. He brandished them and stepped forward, his eyes locked up on the approaching Pokémon with the round belly and deranged smile.

"Blaine, no, please!" Delia called, as the man started running forward.

"Soldiers in the military are trained to kill Pokémon and save lives!" he called proudly over his shoulder. "This one better have a burn heal!"

Leaf watched the Garrison soldier rush up to the Pokémon, only to skid to a sudden stop. His head tilted upward as he stared directly into the monster's face and his arms slowly fell to his sides, the swords in his hands forgotten as he became immobilized by fear.

The Pokémon had stopped and was peering down at him. The deranged smile seemed to grow larger, spreading across its pale face. Its cheeks, decorated with magenta circles on each side, bunched up in its grin.

Blaine seemed to be gawking in terror at the monster, and Leaf feared he would be killed if he remained put in front of it. She did not have to worry for too long, as Blaine quickly stuffed his swords back into the gear strapped to his thighs and turned around on his heel. He dashed over to Delia and the children, plucking Red up and tossing him over his shoulder before grabbing Leaf around the waist, carrying them both away. He appeared to be stronger than he looked, for he held them with relative ease.

"No! No!" Red shouted, struggling in Blaine's grasp. "What are you doing? Put me down!"

Delia was wearing a relieved smile. "Thank you, Blaine."

Leaf did not fight back. Instead, she listened to the wounded cries from her friend as he called for Blaine to stop and to save his mother. Only, she knew it would do him no good. If Blaine attempted to pull the beam off of Delia, the four of them would most likely be killed. The Pokémon was too close. There was no way they could have all survived. Leaf hung her head and the tears that had clung to the corner of her eyes began to fall. A loose sob escaped her lips and she covered her mouth.

"Mom! Mom, no!" Red screamed. His voice was becoming hoarse. "Stop it! We need to save her! We can't leave her!"

Delia was reaching her hand out toward them. Even as Blaine carried them away, running as fast as he could, Leaf could see Red's mother was crying heavily. "I love you," she called, her voice wavering. "I love you."

"Mom! Mom!"

Red started hitting Blaine on the back with balled fists. He would not relent, even as his mother dropped her hand, bringing it to her mouth instead as she wept. They were further from her now, but Red continued to fight. Blaine ignored him all the way through. The Garrison soldier was determined to save them. To save _somebody_.

The Pokémon was standing over their destroyed house now. It reached down, yanking the rubble and fallen beams out and flinging them behind it into the air carelessly. It then plucked up Delia, holding her firmly in its white hands.

Red's mother was lifted into the air, clasped between ball-like fingers. She was struggling in the Pokémon's grasp, pounding against the monster to try to get free. It was no use.

"No! Mom! No!"

Delia was pulled closer to the Pokémon's face, before it brought its other hand and wrapped it around the upper portion of her body. It tugged on her until her spine snapped from being stretched so harshly. She fell, lifeless, against the Pokémon's fist.

The Pokémon then moved its mouth forward, jaw widening and teeth glinting in the setting sunlight like daggers. It lowered Delia's body into its mouth before taking a massive and sharp bite into her. Her blood sprinkled out from between the monster's teeth and ran down its white hands, dripping onto the ground below.

Red had stopped screaming and shouting, and was instead staring dumbfounded as his mother was swallowed whole by the Pokémon.

Leaf whimpered and bit down on her lip as she watched the woman who had cared for her, who fed her, who provided her a home, become rendered nothing more than food for a horrible, mindless beast. She turned away, sniffling as her tears continued to fall.

"No…" Red gasped. "No…"

* * *

Within mere minutes, the entirety of Pallet Town was in disarray. The cloud of dust had settled and with it, the true destruction and horror was revealed. It was red everywhere. The town was dripping with blood. Thick, dark blood. It stained the streets, puddling around bodies crushed by the chunks of stone that had fallen from the Wall. The pavement was painted with crimson, decorated with loose limbs, arms and legs, hands and feet, that had been severed by the teeth of the invading Pokémon.

The screaming was ongoing. The running had yet to cease. Nearly everyone was heading north to the boats, hoping to get to safety. There were Pokémon everywhere. They chased after the citizens of Pallet Town, slowly, as the large beasts were sluggish at the cause of their massive size and the obstacles the townhouses and buildings provided for them. But, many of the townsfolk were caught and plucked up from the ground, only to be ripped apart or devoured.

"Drop everything you have! There's no time to gather your belongings!"

"We need to make room for as many people as possible! Get rid of everything but the clothes on your backs!"

"Keep moving!"

Blue stared out into the crowd waiting on the docks with a nearly expressionless face. His fingers were curled tightly around the side of the boat as he scanned the mass of people. His grandfather was seated beside him on the bench, his hands clasped tight at his coat as he held it together.

"Stupid girl," Blue muttered under his breath. "Stupid, stupid girl."

Samuel Oak glanced up at his grandson. "Blue," he began chidingly.

Blue ignored him, his eyes remaining locked up ahead. He folded his arms across his chest and scowled. Leaf was a fool. A damn fool for running off after Red like that. There had been Pokémon in that direction, and yet, she decided to go. Both of them had. They had little sense. Most likely the two of them were short a few brain cells. But, not Blue. He knew the dangers of Pokémon. He knew what they could do. His father's left arm, delivered to his mother by the Scouts five years ago, told him as much.

Scoffing at the memory, of his mother, who wept for weeks and weeks afterward, who kept the arm at her side, even as it began to rot, who neglected him, who abandoned him to his grandfather, Blue clenched his hands tighter around the side of the boat. Anger was threatening to rise to the surface, but he knew better than to let it consume him. Wherever his mother was now, it did not matter to him.

He refocused his attention to the docks. The Garrison soldiers were filing in as many people as they could to the three boats waiting in the water. They ushered everyone along, seizing any personal items before tossing it away.

In the distance, he heard the thunderous and animalistic sounds of Pokémon, mixed with the shrieks of the people who were unfortunate enough to become their victims.

When he brought his eyes back to the crowd, he saw her. Them. He saw them. Leaf and Red. They were being ushered forward by a Garrison soldier. Blaine, if Blue's memory could serve correct.

Together, Blue's friends were pushed along, toward the front of the crowd. They were children. It did not surprise him to see that they would be prioritized over the dozens of adults who were waiting anxiously to be placed onto a boat.

As Blue watched them step aboard, he realized there was something wrong. They wore solemn and despaired looks on their faces, not to mention the bloodshot and redness of their eyes. He tore away from the side of the boat, meaning to meet them.

"I wouldn't," Gramps warned. "They've most likely been through a lot just now. They'll want their space."

"You don't know what you're talking about, old man."

Blue shoved his way forward until he reached Leaf and Red.

"You too look like shit," he said. "Where's your mom?"

Red was staring down at his feet, unable to meet his gaze.

"She's…gone," Leaf answered for him. Her eyes were puffy and her hands looked like they'd been skewered, punctured all over with streaks of blood all across her skin. Much of it had clotted at the wound sites.

Blue seized her hands and brought them up for inspection. "What happened?"

"I hurt my hands," she told him.

"And, Red?"

Red kept his eyes lowered. His hands looked worse than Leaf's and his body had started to tremble, like a cold wet dog. Blue was not sure if he was hearing correctly, but it sounded like his friend was crying; he was sniffling miserably every so often.

"Same thing," Leaf said.

Blue squeezed her hands lightly before letting them drop. "I told you not to go. I told you―"

Just then, the gangplanks began to rise. The Garrison soldiers waiting on the edge of the docks lifted the wooden bridges up, tugging them inward, and stranding many citizens on the stone riverbed. Cries and shouts of disapproval began to ring out.

"What are you doing?"

"What are the rest of us supposed to do?"

"The boats are at full capacity," a Garrison soldier told them. "I'm sorry. There's nothing else we can do." He turned toward the boat's captain. "Push off now!"

The boats then started lurching forward, rocking suddenly on the river. They were headed directly for the dark tunnel waiting for them at Wall Palkia. An iron gate started to rise in the water, ready to receive them once they neared. It would close and lock as soon as the three boats passed through, Blue knew. A secondary barrier would be lowered as well.

Made out of the same hard material as the Walls, the barrier would keep out any Water-type Pokémon hoping to swim past. The Walls were made out of a mysterious material, partially stone, partially something stronger that was impervious to any elemental and power attack a Pokémon would think to use.

"Don't leave us!"

"There's still room!"

A few of the townsfolk began to charge, leaping off of the docks as they tried to throw themselves onto the boats. Some could not clear the distance and landed in the river with a splash while others barely managed to get their hands on the side of the wooden vessel, hanging onto the edge as they worked to pull themselves up and to safety.

Closer to the single gate leading out to the lands on the other side of Wall Palkia, the soldiers of the Garrison were readying cannons, training them on the approaching Pokémon.

It was a small wonder why the boats had set sail without fitting as many people as it could. Because, truly, Blue could see just from glancing around him that there was still enough space for more people. The Garrison wanted to get moving though. The Pokémon were closing in. If they waited any longer, no one would be saved.

The Garrison soldiers started to fire an array of cannonballs at the monsters. It really did little. Cannons were used as temporary solutions. Distractions for the Pokémon that blinded them and stalled their movements. To truly cut them down, a person would have to slice open their napes.

Still, the Garrison did as best as they could. Firing and firing and firing some more. The cannons took a while to reload, another reason why they were not used very often. In the moments were the soldiers prepared more balls, the Pokémon drew closer with hungry eyes and deranged smiles.

That was when the inner gate began to lower.

Immediately, the soldiers twisted their necks back and gawked. It was their only way out. Their only way to escape. Least to say, many of the cannons were abandoned as the soldiers, especially some of the younger ones, began making a break for it.

"I'm not being left behind!"

"Retreat or die!"

"What are you doing?" Wattson, the soldier from earlier, demanded. He watched his comrades fleeing and followed angrily. He gripped one of them, holding him still.

"They're closing it," the soldier explained. "They aren't going to let the Pokémon through the inner gate. We either run now or stay here and die."

Wattson looked disgusted with what the man had to say and released him of his hold, throwing him aside. He turned back to the incoming Pokémon and readied his swords.

"Everyone who's left," he began. "We stay and fight. We're soldiers, goddammit. We're supposed to protect humanity!"

A short hoorah was heard from the few who remained as the older man's side.

Blue scoffed and brushed his hair from his eyes. They were fools, all of them. Staying to fight was useless. Those cannons would do nothing, and the majority of those Garrison soldiers haven't wielded a sword in years. The blades that stuck out of their gear were used more as ornaments than anything else. Being stationed so far from any actual 'action' made them lazy, weak, and unprepared.

And they were.

They were truly and utterly unprepared.

As the boat floated further down the river and toward the awaiting tunnel, Blue caught sight of a true monster. It was different than the Pokémon from before, which had since disappeared after firing that aura sphere at Wall Palkia. This one walked on four legs and was dark blue in color. A sauropod it was, with silver horns and fangs jutting out, long and sharp-looking, from its face. On its back was some sort of wing-like structure. It fanned out, glinting metallic in the sunset.

The Pokémon was quite a few yards away from the gate. There were certainly more creatures in front of it that posed more of a threat to the Garrison. However, as it soon turned out, the dark blue Pokémon would become a much larger problem.

It charged forward immediately, its four legs, powerful and tipped with metal claws, slamming hard against the ground, leaving deep indentations in the pavement. It looked as if it were charging for something.

The soldiers of the Garrison realized that something was Wall Palkia within seconds after it started running. They commenced firing the cannons at it, hoping it would somehow stop. It was to no avail. The cannonballs bounced off of the Pokémon's body as if they were made out of nothing but air.

"Retreat!"

"Close the gate now! It's charging us! It's charging the gate!"

The soldiers started scrambling, but the Pokémon was too quick. Even as the gate began to lower, as fast as it could, the dark blue Pokémon was faster. Approaching rapidly, it opened its mouth wide, roaring loudly, and firing a blast so hard at Wall Palkia that it caused ripples in the air around it.

The Wall exploded just as greatly as it had before, when the flying Pokémon with the pale blue eyes had appeared. A cloud of smoke wafted into the air and all Blue and his friends could do was watch, with baffled expressions, as their home, Pallet Town, fell.

* * *

Five hundred.

That was the number of people who had managed to flee from Pallet Town when the outcrop fell to the Pokémon.

Five hundred refugees in counting, flooding into the cities located at the outer edges of Wall Dialga. There were many more to come. Within the next few days, since a hole had been blown into the inner wall of Wall Palkia, the Pokémon streamed in, traversing the flatlands in search of humans to devour. They terrorized the small villages, destroyed the farming towns. The central government called for a quick and hasty evacuation of any and all persons living in the flatlands or in the three remaining outlier towns.

Behind Wall Dialga, everyone retreated. The Wall was thicker, stronger. It would hold back the Pokémon. It had to.

But, the cities attached to the edges of Wall Dialga were not built to contain so many people. There was not enough food or resources to go around. The refugees were looked down upon and scoffed at. They were thought of as pests, drainages on society. The people who lived near Wall Dialga were fairly richer than those who lived near Wall Palkia. It was expected such animosity would be generated. And, even then, there was already a famine going on. Many people were already hungry. With the addition of so many people, many more began to starve.

Mankind was truly being pushed to its limits. Some many lives had been lost that day when Pallet Town fell. An estimated ten thousand was totaled, including the additions of casualties from the towns found between Wall Palkia and Dialga. As the first month since the attack passed, the central government made another ruling. This time it called for the deployment of citizens, of refugees, to go out into the flatlands and attempt to work the fields for food. It did little. The lands were barren and cold. The soil was frozen and dry. Nothing would grow, but it was not like that was new information.

Three months later and another ruling passed. An attempt to reclaim Wall Palkia was put into place. All refugees old enough to fight were sent out into the flatlands, armed with guns and swords and cannons.

Perhaps it was a good idea in theory, but it turned out to be a poor mistake. Every civilian sent outside of Wall Dialga was slaughtered by the Pokémon. One of these being Samuel Oak, Blue's grandfather. He had since been caring for the young boy and his two friends, acting as their guardian. When he left, he had Blue promise him to look after the others. Blue was the oldest, so responsibility had been left up to him. He had to be brave and strong for Red and Leaf. He had to be.

With Red retreating into himself, remaining silent and never uttering a word to anyone, Samuel Oak had stressed the importance of taking care of him especially. The poor boy had been traumatized.

Leaf was better off. The terror she had witnessed first-hand did not damage her psyche as severely as her foster brother. Within a few days, she was back to her usual self, albeit with a semi-vacant look in her eyes.

But now, Samuel Oak was dead. And Blue was responsible for two people. Two people who were the same age as him.

Blue was uncertain of how he would manage.

But he would try. He would certainly try.

That was easier said than done. Though Red and Leaf did not give him any trouble, Blue found it difficult to get up most days. He could not sleep at night. It grew increasingly worse each and every time he closed his eyes. A single dream, a _nightmare_ , would play over and over for him. It kept him awake, thrashing in his sleep, afraid of what he was seeing.

The dream featured his grandfather, as he was before he died. It was because of his appearance that Blue found it hard to sleep. He was being haunted by a ghost. A ghost who told him things, who showed him things he could not understand. Images of clear liquid and syringes and knives and blood and stones swirled around him, making his head spin. Blue failed to comprehend the meaning behind the dream, but it kept reappearing. Every night.

One morning, when the sun had still yet to rise in the sky and the world around him was dark, Blue sat up heaving. There was a sharp pain in his chest, and he felt like he was being stabbed and whoever was holding the knife was twisting and twisting the handle for good measure. He gasped when the ache began to become agonizing, his eyes starting to well up with tears.

His fingers slid to his shirt, dipping under the hem and rising to the center of his chest where he pressed down on his sore skin. He began rubbing it, hoping to assuage the pain. It only seemed to make it worse. His chest felt tender and every time he pushed down on it, the stabbing sensation grew more excruciating. It was as if something was stuck beneath the surface of his skin.

He soon decided to leave it alone. Anything he hoped to accomplish in rubbing it only seemed to generate more pain.

When he glanced around the warehouse, the place where many of the refugees lived for the time being, Blue's eyes swept the room until they settled on his friends. They were huddled near one another, with Leaf draping her hand protectively over Red's shoulder. The chestnut haired boy had curled himself into a ball and was hugging something tightly to his chest. Even in the moonlight, Blue knew what it was. The yellow fist-sized crystal he had found quite some time ago.

Leaf told him it had been left to Red by Pikachu. A parting gift of some sort. Blue scoffed at the explanation; he did not believe it for a second. Pokémon did not know compassion. They were mindless. It was pathetic for Red to cling onto something so inane. And, considering what happened with his mother, Red should know firsthand what a Pokémon could really do. But, Red persisted in keeping the crystal. It provided him comfort, or so Leaf claimed. Blue would not know for sure. The boy was so silent these days. It was as if he were mute.

Sighing, Blue settled down on his back once again. He squeezed his eyes shut, praying the pain in his chest would stop.

It never did.

* * *

Red was absentmindedly rubbing the crystal in his pocket as he waited for Blue to return. His stomach was growling, not as loud as it had when they first arrived behind Wall Dialga, but the noise was bothersome to him all the same. Beside him, Leaf was standing with her arms crossed, her eyes focused ahead of her as she anticipated Blue's arrival.

Food rations were being distributed this morning. Blue had left earlier, before either of them had awoken, to get their share before it ran out. A new shipment was said to have come in. The Garrison soldiers did not seem too pleased to be assigned rationing duty, but from what Red saw back in Pallet Town, they were better utilized in this way than being tasked with protecting the civilians. It was a botched attempt, what they did. He did not think he could ever look one in the eye and say he felt safe. He wouldn't trust one with his life. They were cowards who could not fight even if their life depended on it.

Just then, Leaf gasped excitedly and Red knew Blue was coming back. He lifted his head and saw the golden-haired boy stalking towards them, three loaves of bread in his arms. He wore that cocky grin of his. The one he always wore.

"Look what I got," he said.

"One for each of us," Leaf observed. "Better than last time. How early did you get up to wait in that line?"

Blue shrugged. "Early enough. Here." He passed the two of them a loaf.

Red took his share with tender hands before tearing off a piece and bringing it to his mouth. As he ate, he tried to keep his attention on the bread. He knew Blue and Leaf were watching him. That's all they ever did. Watch him with wary looks, as if any moment he would shatter. It was funny though. They just assumed he was so very fragile. Never once did they seem to realize he was already broken.

The three of them ate in silence before they retreated back into the warehouse, where dried food was once stored. That was before the influx of refugees. Now it was crawling with parasites.

And he was one of them. He was a leech on society. All of the refugees were. They sucked on the sustenance, draining the resources. They were burdens and pests. Crowding the cities, causing trouble, making a mess. Parasites on society they were.

Nothing but parasites.

And Red hated it. He hated everything, _everything_ about his life now. He hated being a burden. He hated the looks the citizens threw him. The looks the Garrison soldiers threw him. He hated feeling hungry most days. He hated having to wait for rationed food that tasted like garbage. He hated feeling trapped and weak. He _hated_ it.

Everything was ruined at the cause of the Pokémon. His mother was dead and there was no changing that. He had watched her die. He had not been able to save her. He had not been able to save himself. It had been all Blaine. Damn the bastard for tearing him away from her, for arriving too late. If he had gotten their earlier, if he had tried to lift the beam with them, Mom would still be alive.

Red felt himself starting to anger. Rage was boiling deep within him.

Blue and Leaf were engaged in one of their many conversations when Red tuned in. They were talking about the soldiers and how antsy they've gotten. Blue was griping like usual, so Leaf was assuming the role of active listener. More often than not, that was usually the role she played with Blue.

"He stared at me like I straight up murdered someone," he was saying. "I understand everyone's a bit hungry these days, but the guy needed to relax. All I did was ask for three loaves. I explained to him they weren't just for me."

"He gave them to you," Leaf pointed out.

"Yeah," Blue said. "But I could tell the guy was still suspicious of me. Like I was really going to eat three loaves of bread all by myself. I'm hungry but not _that_ hungry. These things taste like crap."

"It's rationed food," she said. "It's not supposed to taste good."

"Whatever."

"The man was hungry, Blue," she said. "Garrison soldiers give up their food for us. You should have some sympathy, or at least some gratitude."

"They don't deserve it. They've been freeloading all of their lives."

"It's the least we can do though," she argued. "They're protecting us―"

"Protecting us?" Red asked, scoffing. "Is that what you call it?"

In turn, both Leaf and Blue gawked at Red, surprised to hear their friend break his self-imposed vow of silence.

"Those soldiers aren't protecting us," he continued angrily. "Wall Dialga is protecting us. All the Garrison does is loaf around like fat cows. They can't save us. If a Pokémon were to break through that Wall, we'd be dead."

"Woah, Red," Blue said. "Cool it with the animosity."

"No," he spat. He glared his friend and former neighbor in the face. "We don't need to give them anything. We don't owe them anything. Their nothing but cowards. When push comes to shove, all they do is run away. They ran away from the monster that killed my mom. They ran away from the dark blue Pokémon that broke through the inner wall of Wall Palkia. They don't do anything but run!"

"Blaine saved us," Leaf reminded him. "He saved us from that Pokémon. Without him, we would be dead."

"With him, my mom _is_ dead!"

"That isn't true," she cried.

"He could've saved her, but he was weak. He was a coward. He stared that monster in the face and froze."

"Wouldn't you?"

"No," Red snapped.

Leaf scrunched her brows together, frowning deeply. "What do you mean ' _no_ '?"

"I wouldn't freeze. I would fight. I would kill the beast. I would save my mom."

Blue rolled his eyes. "Is that so?" he asked sarcastically. "Months after not speaking and all you have to offer is a tirade about the Garrison and how you would've supposedly killed the Pokémon that ate your mother? Get off your high horse, Red."

Red scowled. "Get off yours. It's not just a tirade."

"Then what is it?"

"A promise."

"A promise for what?" Leaf asked, confused. "You make little sense."

"A promise for vengeance," Red said with clenched fists. "A promise to kill them. The Pokémon. All of them. To not be a coward."

Blue folded his arms across his chest. "Yeah right. How's that going to happen?"

"With the Scouts," he said plainly. "I'm going to join the Survey Corps."

"No, you're not," Blue said, his voice rising.

"Who says?"

"I do," he said. "I promised Gramps I would protect you two. I'm not letting you join the Scouts."

"You'd rather live the rest of your life in fear? As a weakling who depends on cowards for protection?"

Blue did not falter. "No."

"Then, why stay here?" Red demanded. "Why stay here and die?"

"Joining the Survey Corps is a death sentence," Blue told him. "You set foot outside of these Walls and you're dead."

"That isn't true."

"Yes, it is."

"Not if you're strong enough," Leaf said. Her voice was uncharacteristically quiet, low like a whisper. "If you're strong enough, you can survive."

"Not you too," Blue said, groaning. "It isn't just about strength."

"It's about speed and accuracy," she said. Her eyes were shining with something Red could not quite place. Hope? Determination? Her voice was starting to rise again. "And luck."

Blue threw a displeased look in Leaf's direction. "Something none of us have."

"Strength and speed and accuracy can be learned," Red argued.

"And?"

"And, as far as luck goes," Leaf added. "We've survived this long. I'd say we're pretty damn lucky."


End file.
